Search results

1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 14 July 2023

Wang Shen, Junyao Wang, Xin Feng and Yuming He

This paper aims to study individuals’ information service satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in China’s urban communities.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study individuals’ information service satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in China’s urban communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers analyse people’s uncertainties during the pandemic and argue that uncertainties caused by the lockdown can negatively affect people. By reducing people’s uncertainty during the pandemic, community staff members can improve individuals’ information service satisfaction and social order. This study constructs a conceptual model that includes key transparency and self-disclosure constructs and their relationships that can contribute to the trust and satisfaction of the community information service phenomenon. The researchers collected 489 responses to test their hypothesis from an online survey of Chinese residents in areas where the strict lockdown policy was implemented.

Findings

The empirical results show that policy and goods information transparency significantly affect information service satisfaction in a positive way, with goods information transparency having the highest impact. Second, self-disclosure of community staff members is also an effective way to increase information service satisfaction. Finally, trust plays a mediating role in the influence of information transparency and self-disclosure on information service satisfaction.

Originality/value

This paper innovatively uses uncertainty reduction theory to examine the effects of information transparency and self-disclosure on satisfaction with community information services. It expands the research in the field of information service satisfaction and extends the scope of the research subjects of self-disclosure.

Details

The Electronic Library , vol. 41 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2022

Payam Akbar and Stefan Hoffmann

The purpose of this paper is to develop and introduce the new concept of the collaborative space.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and introduce the new concept of the collaborative space.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on an extensive overview of past research and footing on extant conceptual work, the paper chooses an explicating conceptualization approach.

Findings

The paper presents the collaborative space, which features the three bipolar dimensions, namely, the type of consumption (access vs reownership), source of resource (company-owned vs consumer-owned) and the type of compensation (with vs without monetary fee). These dimensions open up multiple areas of the collaborative space, including the pseudo sharing economy, sharing ecology, redistribution markets and redistribution communities.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows blind spots in the literature as well as the need to consider the consumption context to outline directions for future research.

Practical implications

For managers, this paper develops a foundation for entering, exploring and exploiting the collaborative space along the stages acquisition, distribution, consumption and compensation.

Social implications

Collaborative consumption is associated with community-building, resource saving and sustainability. The conceptualization of the collaborative spaces provides different options to enable more sustainable consumption and raise social exchange between consumers.

Originality/value

So far, an overarching framework that reveals similarities and differences of business models that are associated with collaborative consumption and the sharing economy is missing. This paper develops this framework, which is labelled the collaborative space.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 16 August 2023

Kugara Stewart Lee, Mdhluli Tsetselelani Decide, Sekgothe Mokgoatšana and Amaechi Kingsley Ekene

Indigenous health care models have continued to play significant roles in the development and sustenance of livelihoods in African communities. Such models are used not only to…

Abstract

Indigenous health care models have continued to play significant roles in the development and sustenance of livelihoods in African communities. Such models are used not only to provide affordable community health care services but also as an employment resource for traditional practitioners within African communities. Yet, for lack of documentation and lack of discussion in the management and Indigenous Knowledge System literature, the models are hardly incorporated into the official health care services of African countries. This chapter addresses this problem by documenting the benefits and merits of the entrepreneurial principles embedded in the Tsonga traditional health care practice. First, it highlights how the unique indigenous traditional model is used for administering health care in a selected Tsonga-speaking community in South Africa. Second, it analyses the entrepreneurial principles embedded in the model. Finally, it discusses how such principles have been used as tools for entrepreneurship and enhancing the economic upkeep of the traditional health care practitioners (THPs). The chapter's main argument is that even though the Tsonga traditional health care practice model is complex, mystical, and in most cases challenging to explain to a non-native, it presents a great entrepreneurial opportunity for South Africa.

Article
Publication date: 28 March 2024

Manoj Kumar, Rekha Bos, Emma Emily de Wit and J.G.F. Bunders-Aelen

This study aims to evaluate how a community psychiatry model, referred to as the Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT) in India, provides decentralized care and comprehensive services…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate how a community psychiatry model, referred to as the Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT) in India, provides decentralized care and comprehensive services to people with severe mental illness living in poverty. Using the complex adaptive system (CAS) framework, the authors aim to understand the factors that contribute to the diverse outcomes of the MHAT community mental health programme as observed in four different locations.

Design/methodology/approach

Four MHAT clinics were purposively chosen from two districts in Kerala. A comparative case study methodology was used to document each clinic’s MHAT services and activities, as found during field visits and interviews with staff members and volunteers.

Findings

The study shows that all four clinics met the basic aim of providing free, quality mental health care to the poorest populations, although not all aspects of the comprehensive model could be equally provided. Alignment with the MHAT vision, appropriate leadership, the relationship with partners and their level of community engagement determined the varied success between clinics.

Originality/value

The current study evaluation stresses that community ownership is crucial. Careful attention must be paid to the characteristics of selected partners, including their leadership styles and ability to garner resources.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 April 2024

Ifzal Ahmad and M. Rezaul Islam

This chapter explores the principles of community empowerment and active participation in community development, highlighting the importance of inclusive practices for sustainable…

Abstract

This chapter explores the principles of community empowerment and active participation in community development, highlighting the importance of inclusive practices for sustainable and equitable outcomes. It draws from diverse strategies and practical examples, showcasing the transformative potential of empowering community members. Through real-world case studies from places like Namibia, Bangladesh, and Brazil, readers gain insights into effective strategies for amplifying marginalized voices and enabling them to shape their destinies. The chapter addresses the challenges and benefits of participatory approaches, helping practitioners tailor strategies to complex community dynamics. It emphasizes the pivotal role of partnerships in strengthening community bonds and fostering collaborations among stakeholders. By embracing empowerment and participation, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future where communities thrive, and individuals actively shape their paths.

Details

Building Strong Communities: Ethical Approaches to Inclusive Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83549-175-1

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2023

Martine Herzog-Evans

Following the ‘Sarkozy’ era (2007–2012), France has engaged in ‘zero-tolerance’ policies, which have brought an increasing number of people into the criminal justice system (CJS)…

Abstract

Following the ‘Sarkozy’ era (2007–2012), France has engaged in ‘zero-tolerance’ policies, which have brought an increasing number of people into the criminal justice system (CJS). In an already extremely impoverished CJS, these policies have led to serious financial problems and have made an already existing prison overcrowding problem worse. Consequently, the CJS has gradually opted for a McDonald (Ritzer, 2019; Robinson, 2019) type of offender processing, whether in prosecutor-led procedures (representing roughly half of all penal procedures: Ministry of Justice, 2019) or in the sentencing phase (Danet, 2013). A similar trend has been found in probation and in prisoner release (in French: ‘sentences’ management).

The prison and probation services, which merged in 1999, have since then been in a position to benefit from the 1958 French Republic Constitution, which places the executive in a dominant position and notably allows it to draft the bills presented to a rather passive legislative power (Rousseau, 2007) and even to enjoy its own set of normative powers (‘autonomous decrees’ – Hamon & Troper, 2019). By way of law reforming (2009, 2014, and 2019 laws), the prison and probation services have thus embraced the McDonaldisation ethos. Their main obsession has been to early release as many prisoners as possible in order to free space and to accommodate more sentenced people. To do so, the prison services have created a series of so-called ‘simplified’ early release procedures, where prisoners are neither prepared for nor supported through release, where they are deprived of agency and where due process and attorney advice are removed. Behind a pretend rehabilitative discourse, the executive is only interested in efficiently flushing people out of prison; not about re-entry efficacy. As Ritzer (2019) points out, McDonaldisation often leads to counter-productive or absurd consequences. In the case of early release, the stubborn reality is that one cannot bypass actually doing the rehabilitative and re-entry work. I shall additionally argue that not everything truly qualifies as an early release measure (Ostermann, 2013). Only measures which respect prisoners’ agency prepare them for their release, which support them once they are in the community, which address their socio-psychological and criminogenic needs, and which are pronounced in the context of due process and defence rights truly qualify as such. As it is, French ‘simplified’ release procedures amount to McRe-entry and mass nothingness.

Details

Punishment, Probation and Parole: Mapping Out ‘Mass Supervision’ In International Contexts
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-194-3

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 April 2024

Ifzal Ahmad and M. Rezaul Islam

In this final chapter, we explore the ever-evolving 21st century landscape where ethics drive community development toward resilience and progress. Drawing inspiration from the…

Abstract

In this final chapter, we explore the ever-evolving 21st century landscape where ethics drive community development toward resilience and progress. Drawing inspiration from the subheadings mapping our journey, we traverse international case studies spanning Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Kenya, China, Australia, Antarctica, and India. Through these global insights, we uncover the impacts of dynamic forces on communities worldwide, navigating ethical dilemmas and opportunities. We present strategies tailored to diverse continent-specific needs, explore inclusive governance models, and highlight the transformative power of ethical engagement. This journey underscores the vital role of resilience and concludes with a global call to embrace ethical approaches for inclusive community development and a sustainable future.

Details

Building Strong Communities: Ethical Approaches to Inclusive Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83549-175-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 February 2024

Thomas Gauthier

American Community colleges are vital to the country's economic mobility and are leaders in developing and facilitating career, technical, and workforce education. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

American Community colleges are vital to the country's economic mobility and are leaders in developing and facilitating career, technical, and workforce education. This study explored employer perspectives on employees' common and specialized skills across industries in the United States.

Design/methodology/approach

Employers were profiled for one year using a case study and content analysis method. They submitted performance records for at least three employees who graduated from community college career, technical, or workforce programs.

Findings

Data revealed that overall, employees were successful at work, but employers focused on employability skills across disciplines (common skills); specialized skills employers focused on were associated with business operations and processes and seemed to be something other than industry-specific technical knowledge.

Originality/value

This article and the research it refers to constitute original work that has not been reproduced or published. The value of this article is premised on new longitudinal data, which could be used to improve and progress institutional CTE and WD programs.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2023

Asmaa Bouaamri and Ágnes Hajdu Barat

This article discusses the public library system in Morocco, compiling the available information tackling the historical background of public libraries and their early work and…

Abstract

Purpose

This article discusses the public library system in Morocco, compiling the available information tackling the historical background of public libraries and their early work and the system that has been adopted during and after colonial periods. The main purpose of the study is to shed light on the present situation of the public library system in Morocco and also to further identify some of the recurrent issues in the public library system in Morocco.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors relied on a literature review as a theoretical reference in order to study and extract the available studies done previously on the Moroccan system for public libraries.

Findings

Public libraries in Morocco face various issues such as lack of available data and research, lack of appropriate funds, education in the field of library and information sciences, low rate of reading culture within the country and the high rate of illiteracy, all of which obstruct the development of Moroccan librarianship. There is a necessary reform need and action in order to help in the development of libraries in the country.

Originality/value

This paper is the first paper that discussed the state of public libraries in Morocco and that draws and highlights the importance of public libraries in relation with the country's development.

Details

Library Management, vol. 45 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2023

Nick Davies, Lindsay Robbins, Daniel Baxter, Maren Viol, Alannah Graham and Aleksandra Halas

Community events are significant for building community identity and cohesion. During 2020–2021, events largely halted due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and many…

Abstract

Purpose

Community events are significant for building community identity and cohesion. During 2020–2021, events largely halted due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and many communities lacked the capacity to recover their events quickly, in comparison to larger more well-resourced events. The study aims to understand and learn from the experiences of Scottish community event practitioners' during the disruption and recovery period for their events.

Design/methodology/approach

A targeted qualitative questionnaire elicited open-ended responses from people involved in the management and operation of community events in Scotland. Focus groups were also conducted with relevant practitioners to further elicit data.

Findings

Four key themes emerged as follows: (1) COVID-19 fractured stakeholder networks and impacted the ability of community events to operate. Practices adapted to incorporate virtual events. (2) Events were considered as important for place-building and wider collective community benefits. This was brought more into focus for practitioners as a result of the pandemic. (3) Local authorities were variable in the level and support they gave community events. (4) Some positive changes were enforced through COVID-19, such as collaboration between small event collectives that can build resilience for community events in the future.

Originality/value

The research provides an analysis of community events, which are often small-scale, diverse, local, unique to destinations and under-researched compared to large events. It particularly builds understanding of their resilience to sectoral disruption, through the lens of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, an extraordinary disruptive event. This paper provides practical strategies for community actors and local authorities to improve event delivery and leverage community events as place-builders.

Details

International Journal of Event and Festival Management, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1758-2954

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000